Lethal Dimi is the Toon tormentor

Manchester United may be seeking a historic Quintuple but relegation-haunted Newcastle proved they’re not about to become Premier League has-beens just yet.

The Geordies turned in their best display of the season to frighten the life out of a Reds outfit – only for defensive frailties to cost them dear.

Peter Lovenkrands, a free transfer signing from German club Schalke in January, became the first Premier League player since Arsenal’s Samir Nasri in November to score past Edwin van der Sar after a rare mistake by the veteran Dutchman.

But Wayne Rooney equalised on 20 minutes and 10 minutes into the second half, Dimitar Berbatov put United ahead, following a moment of madness from Ryan Taylor.

The midfielder tried to chest the ball back to Steve Harper, only for Ji-Sung Park to nip in and cross for Berbatov to pop the ball into an empty net.

Sir Alex Ferguson had taken his squad on a visit to the Angel of the North landmark earlier in the day.

But his side were left experiencing a taste of hell after just nine minutes.

And astonishingly, it was the previously unbeatable Van der Sar who was the culprit, gifting Lovenkrands a goal.

The Dane slotted home from four yards after Van der Sar had somehow spilled Jonas Gutierrez’s shot.

The ball skidded off the sodden turf, catching out the United keeper who then had to pick it out of the net for the first time in 1,311 minutes, shattering his hopes of capturing the European record.

Incredibly, Newcastle might have doubled their lead on 13 minutes with Lovenkrands the architect this time.

After catching out Nemanja Vidic with his pace, he slipped a pass to Obafemi Martins, whose first-time shot crashed into the side-netting.

Exactly 13 years ago to the day, these two sides had met at St James’s Park under very different circumstances.

The then Magpies chief Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle held a six-point lead at the top of the table, with United trailing in their wake.

Victory for the Toon back then would probably have finished off their main rivals but Eric Cantona scored a second winner and – but for a few years under Sir Bobby Robson – it’s been virtually downhill ever since for Newcastle.

The atmosphere last night, however, was a throwback to the Keegan era after Newcastle’s flying start.

Yet the game changed within a minute, midway through the first half.

When Vidic was booked for bringing down Martins on the edge of the box, it presented Ryan Taylor with the sort of free-kick chance he regularly converted when playing for Wigan against Newcastle.

But his poor effort failed to test Van der Sar and, seconds later, United were level through Rooney’s 12th goal this term.

It was a brilliantly worked effort. John O’Shea swapped passes with Park before feeding Rooney, hovering menacingly on the edge of the box.

The England striker turned sharply to unleash an instant left-foot shot which brushed off Steven Taylor to beat Steve Harper in the Newcastle goal.

Then United had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Steve Bennett when Berbatov’s cross hit Sebastian Bassong’s arm.

The equaliser failed to knock the stuffing out of a vibrant home side, though.

With O’Shea struggling to cope with Gutierrez, Newcastle continued to have the upper hand.

Ryan Taylor had a drive deflected wide and Martins was unlucky when a shot was blocked in a goalmouth scramble. But as half-time loomed, United began to boss the game for the first time and on 39 minutes, Vidic should have headed them into the lead.

After Newcastle allowed Michael Carrick’s corner to bounce, the Serbian star could only head harmlessly over the top.

Three minutes later, Rooney inadvertently came to the hosts’ rescue when Park’s goal-bound shot hit him in between the posts.

The United camp reacted furiously when Steven Taylor charged into Ronaldo, sending the tricky winger crashing over the touchline.

Their players surrounded the referee who booked Taylor and then, after blowing up for half-time, cautioned Rio Ferdinand for complaining.

The second period failed to match the excitement of the first with Newcastle unable to reproduce the fast-flowing football which had caused the league leaders so many problems.

Berbatov had proved his worth with his vital goal – but he was left ruing a missed chance in the 72nd minute when he saw a blistering shot turned away by Harper.